8th Costellian
The 8th Costellian Light Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Raiders" for their appearance and tactics, are 4000 guardsmen hailing from the warrior caste on the planet Costellia. Founded in 748.M41, the Costellian are a small but highly valuable regiment, their skills in both marksmanship and reconnaissance invaluable and nearly as impressive and legendary as the skills of more famous scout regiments. History The 8th Costellian are one of Costellia's oldest and most active regiments, outlasting many of their predecessors. Due to this experience, they have made a reputation for themselves, providing their skills in valuable ways on multiple occasions, sometimes being the marksman backbone of a successful assault or the scouts that provide detailed knowledge on a world in need of liberation. Despite inevitable heavy losses, they are constantly at war, trained from birth to fight until they die and dying as they fight. The Siege of Solaritus Solar One of the first missions for the 8th was to aid in the liberation of the world of Solaritus Solar, capital world of the Solaritus sub-sector, after it had fallen siege to the forces of the ruinous powers. Landing first, the Raiders fought alongside the 2nd Solaritus regiment, which had been in the final days of it's Founding when it had become besieged. Working alongside them, the Raiders established both a foothold and a chart of the area, working their way into the surroundings and causing chaos within the ranks of the foe, sabotaging supplies and ambushing patrols. This method of warfare, combined with their appearance, led to their Solaritan allies calling them the Raiders, a name that stuck. The actions of these Raiders benefitted the defensive siege warfare the 2nd had grown accustomed to, with them holding off the foe while the Raiders eliminated the supplies and manpower needed for the Archenemy to wage war. Notable Campaigns * 'Siege of Solaritus (760.M41) -' The Raiders provide reconnaissance and marksman support to the newly-founded 2nd Solaritus in defense of their home planet from an invasion of the Archenemy that ravaged the system. * 'Battle of Ezsu (967.M41) - '''The 8th Costellian provide sniper support for Cadian regiments against rebel forces, ending when the Raiders ambush the traitors and open a breach in the gates of a massive enemy citadel, one which contained a holy relic of the Imperium. * '''Drendix Crusade (977.M41 -- 980.M41) -' In 977.M41 the 8th Costellian, 97th Craketun and 2 Cadian regiments are sent to clear out the world of Drendix, currently under attack from 2 Ork WAAGH!s. They are assisted by the Hammer Guard Chapter of Space Marines, and are eventually joined by the Novus Krakens chapter of Space Marines in the 3rd year of fighting. The Raiders and other regiments are left to clear out the last pockets of Ork resistance while the Astartes push on to destroy the Ork Warbosses. Homeworld The homeworld of the 8th Costellian, Costellia, is classified as a Death World, and this is evident after a single step into it's sprawling, planet-wide desert. Once a tropical world rich with resources sought out by the nearby Forge Worlds, Costellia's environment was utterly destroyed during some time after the War of the Beast. It's once tropical landscape was blasted into scorching deserts, and it's population was reduced to a fraction of it's original size. Left among the ruins, the survivors forged a new life, forced to adapt to the radioactive wastes and few habitable spots. In this land the new society of Costellia rose, one which worshipped the God-Emperor as the one who saved them from the wastes, bringing them to his side once they had served him as long as he required. Resourceful and quick-thinking as they scour the wastes, Costellia only rewards those tough enough to endure it's hardships, and smart enough to have faith in the God-Emperor and each other. Castes The Costellians, despite being made up of several different tribes across the planet, are close with one another, practicing the ways of brotherhood throughout the wasteland, as they have realised they need each other, as well as the God-Emperor's light, to survive. This, ironically, has caused them to be split into five castes so that the community can thrive. Each caste has it's own job in the community, and all are valued equally. The Warrior Caste is trained for the Imperium, as well as to hunt and defend the tribe from bandits; the Scavenger Caste searches the wastes for anything they think will help improve the tribe; the Feeder Caste grows any plants that survive in the wastes, as well as cook for the tribe; and the Sultan Caste deal with the politics between tribes. The Priest Caste makes sure the population maintains their worship of the God-Emperor, and keeps the spirits up in the harsh wastes Recruitment and Reinforcement Costellian warriors are selected at birth, the caste they are born into deciding their future. From an early age they are trained in the deserts of Costellia, learning how to stalk prey and track it even in a sandstorm, how to aim, fire, load, and clean their weapon, how to kill without remorse and how to pick off targets from afar. When called upon for a founding, the best warriors from each tribe are selected and organized, forming into ranks of organized, remorseless killers. Sex does not matter in the Warrior caste, only that you are willing to fight and die for Costellia and the God-Emperor. When a regiment of Costellia calls upon their homeworld for reinforcement, each caste is given a specific number of warriors to send. Having already been trained for their duty, these warriors are inspected and shipped out, replacing the numbers of their tribe members that had fallen, so that the ratio remains constant. Equipment Both a light infantry regiment and residents of a post-apocalyptic Death World, the Costellian regiments are equipped lightly, given few machines and heavy weapons in preference of marksman weaponry and technology similar to the level of their homeworld. Weapons The Weapons of the 8th Costellian are picked for range, as the Costellian warrior caste is raised to engage their foe at range then finish off the survivors at close range, for the deserts of Costellia contain many dangers that are better seen through a scope than up close. * Triplex Phall M-Galaxy lasgun, favored for it's scope * Long-Las, used by snipers * Kantrael pattern laspistol * Combat knife * Frag and Krak grenades Armor and Miscellaneous equipment The 8th Costellian Raiders are a specialists in reconnaissance and infiltration, and take to the field with armor and gear designed to maximise their stealth efficiency. * Camo-Cloak ** The Costellian camo-cloak is a unique type of camo-cloak traded to the warrior caste of Costellia by a nearby forge world in exchnagw for the valuable minerals that lie with the ruins. Given to a warrior at birth, they are raised with them, and consider their cloaks a treasured belonging, like one treat an arm or leg. * Combat Ration packs * Dog tags * Medi-packs for medical officers * Costellian Gas Mask ** Each tribe on Costellia has their own design to the gas mask made in the Costellian system, and each Raider wears their mask with pride, it is their tribe's heraldry as well as a representation of Costellia's traditions and life. * Flak Armor * Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer Tactics The Raiders are skilled scouts and marksmen, often used to advance ahead of the first wave and scout 5he terrainx reporting back enemy movements, encampmwnts, and routes of travel. Their survival instincts serve them well in this environment, stalking through the land wrapped in their cloaks and living off little. In combat, their sniper cadres excel, picking off key targets and covering other units, making them a backbone of every assault, especially if the Raiders have already infiltrated it, waiting to reveal themselves with their lasguns loaded and firing. Their ability to pass through enemy lines has created a unique appreciation for guerrilla warfare, a tactic that blends well with the skills they learn from birth. Category:Imperial Guard Category:Imperial Guard Regiments Category:Imperium Category:Light Infantry Regiments